A lot of people are worried about asbestos, but what they do not realize is that undisturbed asbestos usually poses little or no problems. On the other hand, everything should be done to prevent the release of asbestos fibres as they can cause serious damage to your health, especially to your lungs and be the cause of cancers. That is why asbestos surveys or asbestos removal should be done as soon as you find out that there is asbestos somewhere.
It is usually very difficult to see whether there is asbestos or not in a building or a home and that is why if you are not sure or have doubts, you should contact a company that will carry out asbestos surveys to find out more. It is important to know though that if you think that you are living in a house with asbestos there is no need to panic. As long as asbestos is not damaged or disturbed, it is safe. That is why you should never do any type of work on asbestos materials like sawing it or drilling it.
The best thing to do is to contact specialists that will advise you of what to do and if an asbestos survey is necessary or if you need asbestos removal straight away. As asbestos was commonly used between the fifties and the eighties, you will be most likely to find some in places like rainwater fall pipes, fire blankets, garage and shed roofs or even in floor tiles. Interestingly, most people are exposed to a very low amount of asbestos that is present in the atmosphere but this as no effects of their health. This is completely normal since asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. On the other hand, asbestos fibres and dust are pretty dangerous if inhaled over a certain period of time and in higher concentrations. This inhalation can even cause lung diseases like cancer for example.
People really need to be aware of the danger of asbestos since it is the greatest single cause of deaths at work in the United Kingdom, and that is why asbestos awareness training are being done more and more in companies and that asbestos surveyors inspect many building to do asbestos surveys and find out whether the buildings we are working in are safe or not. Asbestos related diseases are responsible in the United Kingdom of around four thousand deaths every year.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Asbestos Surveys in the UK
Asbestos surveys are a requirement by law to make sure that all buildings meet safety regulations concerning the use of asbestos.
Formally the most common type of insulation used in buildings, it was in the 1970's that asbestos was found to be a deadly substance if it was disturbed and then inhaled by humans. Naturally once this was discovered the removal and safe guarding of the substance was of great importance which is where the asbestos survey was created.
Most commonly found in flooring, pipes and ceilings asbestos is a heat resistant material that can occur naturally and asbestos surveys aim to detect any potential dangers resulting that may result from it.
With approximately 3500 people a year dying from exposure to asbestos, asbestos surveys can not be undervalued in its importance towards providing a safe workplace or home. Asbestos can become life threatening if it is cut, drilled or roughed up so that its fibres are then produced into the air.
Failure to undertake an asbestos survey could lead to a £20,000 fine and other severe penalties if not done through a recognised company. An asbestos survey comes in three different types depending on the situation.
The first asbestos survey is the presumptive survey that will start with locating any possible asbestos that may be in the buildings materials and then assessing its condition to see what risk it may pose.
The next asbestos survey would be the sampling survey where samples are collected and tested for asbestos. This is then followed by a full access and sampling identification survey where it is attempted to find all materials containing asbestos in the building. This asbestos survey could include destructive inspection if needed to locate all the asbestos in a building.
These surveys will help to alleviate any risks that are posed by asbestos in a building and help to provide a safer living and working environment for all concerned.
The importance of asbestos surveys can not be underestimated. Asbestos if left in a dwelling can produce fibres so small that if they are breathed in can avoid the lungs and then settle in the alveoli. As the asbestos can not then be broken down as this is only done through very high temperatures it firstly scars the lungs and will then cause inflammation around them. This leads to the lungs being unable to transfer oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the blood and can result in laboured breathing that then leads to a painful death.
With so many companies specialising in producing asbestos surveys can you afford not to have one done immediately?
Formally the most common type of insulation used in buildings, it was in the 1970's that asbestos was found to be a deadly substance if it was disturbed and then inhaled by humans. Naturally once this was discovered the removal and safe guarding of the substance was of great importance which is where the asbestos survey was created.
Most commonly found in flooring, pipes and ceilings asbestos is a heat resistant material that can occur naturally and asbestos surveys aim to detect any potential dangers resulting that may result from it.
With approximately 3500 people a year dying from exposure to asbestos, asbestos surveys can not be undervalued in its importance towards providing a safe workplace or home. Asbestos can become life threatening if it is cut, drilled or roughed up so that its fibres are then produced into the air.
Failure to undertake an asbestos survey could lead to a £20,000 fine and other severe penalties if not done through a recognised company. An asbestos survey comes in three different types depending on the situation.
The first asbestos survey is the presumptive survey that will start with locating any possible asbestos that may be in the buildings materials and then assessing its condition to see what risk it may pose.
The next asbestos survey would be the sampling survey where samples are collected and tested for asbestos. This is then followed by a full access and sampling identification survey where it is attempted to find all materials containing asbestos in the building. This asbestos survey could include destructive inspection if needed to locate all the asbestos in a building.
These surveys will help to alleviate any risks that are posed by asbestos in a building and help to provide a safer living and working environment for all concerned.
The importance of asbestos surveys can not be underestimated. Asbestos if left in a dwelling can produce fibres so small that if they are breathed in can avoid the lungs and then settle in the alveoli. As the asbestos can not then be broken down as this is only done through very high temperatures it firstly scars the lungs and will then cause inflammation around them. This leads to the lungs being unable to transfer oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the blood and can result in laboured breathing that then leads to a painful death.
With so many companies specialising in producing asbestos surveys can you afford not to have one done immediately?
History of health concerns of asbestos
The serious health concerns that are associated with asbestos fibers were first discovered as far back as first century AD. Those of higher status in the Greeks and Romans era started to see problems within their slave's conditions and patterns of lung sickness began occurring in those who were given jobs involving the weaving of asbestos cloth.
Post mortem exams raised a further awareness of the related diseases with this mineral around the 1900's when a patterned occurred in young asbestos factory workers who were found with presence of the fibers in their lungs. It was feared that the inhalation of the dust had at least contributed if not caused the death of these workers.
But it was not until the 1920's when a large public health investigation was actually introduced due to the case reports presented by a pathologist named Dr. Cooke. His case description of a 33 year old female victim of the asbestos related disease encouraged further investigation in asbestos textile workers and later resulted in the improved regulation of the manufacturing and asbestos management of contaminated products. The disease that was killing the examined asbestos workers was named asbestosis.
In 1936 further development for research on the health effects of asbestos dust was agreed and sponsored by a group of asbestos companies. The companies were willing to provide the support needed but in return the results of the asbestos surveys conducted were required to be in their full control. It was later revealed that in the 1950's the companies removed all references to cancer prior to the publication of research.
The 80's show a heightened scare within various parts of the world when the U.S issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule which was subsequently overturned in the case of Corrosion Proof Fittings. This was later followed by Australia in 1995 and New Zealand in 2002 with a ban on the importation of raw amphibole asbestos and chrysotile asbestos
Post mortem exams raised a further awareness of the related diseases with this mineral around the 1900's when a patterned occurred in young asbestos factory workers who were found with presence of the fibers in their lungs. It was feared that the inhalation of the dust had at least contributed if not caused the death of these workers.
But it was not until the 1920's when a large public health investigation was actually introduced due to the case reports presented by a pathologist named Dr. Cooke. His case description of a 33 year old female victim of the asbestos related disease encouraged further investigation in asbestos textile workers and later resulted in the improved regulation of the manufacturing and asbestos management of contaminated products. The disease that was killing the examined asbestos workers was named asbestosis.
In 1936 further development for research on the health effects of asbestos dust was agreed and sponsored by a group of asbestos companies. The companies were willing to provide the support needed but in return the results of the asbestos surveys conducted were required to be in their full control. It was later revealed that in the 1950's the companies removed all references to cancer prior to the publication of research.
The 80's show a heightened scare within various parts of the world when the U.S issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule which was subsequently overturned in the case of Corrosion Proof Fittings. This was later followed by Australia in 1995 and New Zealand in 2002 with a ban on the importation of raw amphibole asbestos and chrysotile asbestos
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